


Iris

by vermicious_knid



Category: I Am The Night (TV 2019)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-03-07
Packaged: 2019-11-13 03:22:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18023807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vermicious_knid/pseuds/vermicious_knid
Summary: Fauna deals with her mother in the aftermath.





	Iris

She goes back to Nevada to see her mother in the hospital. Terrence comes with her because he thinks she needs the support, that she can’t deal with it on her own.

 

She smiles at him in the waiting room, but hasn’t kissed him since that fateful day outside Corinna’s house.

 

Because even though she cares for him (a little bit) he has made the mistake that everyone else seems to be making around her. People that she can’t trust – they underestimate her.

* * *

 

Even though her mom won’t say who hurt her – claims that a thief came through the window and knifed her – they both know who it was. But Fauna doesn’t ask twice – knows that her mother won't ever speak his name unless directly addressing him.

 

There are yellow flowers in a small vase next to her bed, but there is no water in it so Fauna rises from her red plastic chair to make herself useful. Her mother has been unusually quiet and thoughtful since their reunion.

 

But when Fauna comes back with the flowers and attempts a smile, hopeful, her mother scoffs and looks away.

 

It can’t really be the same as before.

 

”You’ve missed plenty of school. But I suppose you don’t care about any of that now huh? Now that you’ve got yourself a new young man to fawn over.” Jimmie mutters, not even looking at her daughter as she says it. Fauna swallows and braces for another argument. She fists her hands in her lap.

 

”He’s not mine mama. He’s just...a friend.”

 

Jimmie scoffs again, like she doesn’t believe a word. Like nothing that’s happened over the past few weeks has mattered at all. Fauna wishes that people around her stopped doing this – pretending like things that matter doesn’t.

 

”And what about that love of your life, the one you were going to marry? I bet he’s curious about the friends you made over there.”

 

Fauna doesn't duck or glance away this time. She faces her mother directly, without cowering.

 

”I spoke to Lewis yesterday.”

 

* * *

 

It was actually the first person she went to see when she got back. And when he waved at her from the parking lot at school, it was almost like she’d never left. She could pretend for a small amount of time that she was still the same girl.

 

They hugged for a long time, and the kids were all staring now because of her hair, the pale skin that was on display in her short sundress without sleeves. But Lewis doesn’t notice or care at all. He’s all smiles, eyes shining.

 

”Did you find your parents?”

 

”Yeah, it was a good trip. I learned a lot. ”

 

They sit on the small patch of grass in front of her mothers house and drink soda later that day. Before, Fauna would have made a spectacle of it – gone to fetch a blanket they could sit on from inside the house, maybe something to eat. Smiling the whole time, perfectly happy it being just the two of them in the world.

 

Now she keeps looking off into the distance, scraping the label off the soda bottle in a distracted manner.

 

Meanwhile, Lewis keeps talking about his new job at the hardware store. How he’ll be able to afford his own apartment too soon.

 

”That’s great.” she says, and she really means it.

 

”And well, maybe after you’ve graduated – because your mom would want you to finish school, we can really start planning, you know.”

 

She eyes him for a moment and then looks down.

 

”Pat? What’s wrong? ”

 

It’s hard to find the words. She settles for the truth, which is better than anyone else seems to give her.

 

”My name is Fauna actually, but that’s not important. ”

 

”Did something happen with your folks? ”

 

”This is not about them. I just...I want you to be happy Lewis. Really I do.”

 

”What do you mean?”

 

”Pat would have made you a great wife. But I dont think...I don’t think I can. ”

 

They finish their sodas and listen to a baseball game on the radio before he goes home in the evening. Even though he’s hurt – she can tell, he doesn’t protest or try to change her mind. She likes that about him, always did. He never pushed her, never tried to steer her path. There is a curious hollow sound in her heart when she watches him leave, like watching an old part of herself drift through her house like a ghost.

 

 


End file.
